Overview

• In a counter-affidavit, the Election Commission said any judicial direction to hold Special Intensive Revisions at fixed intervals would encroach on its exclusive jurisdiction.
• The Commission grounded its stance in Article 324 of the Constitution, Section 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, asserting complete discretion over timing and method.
• It informed the court that, via letters dated July 5, all state and UT CEOs except Bihar were told to start pre‑revision work for a nationwide SIR with January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date, followed by a CEOs’ conference in New Delhi on September 10.
• On September 8, the Supreme Court directed that Aadhaar must be accepted as identity proof for Bihar’s SIR, while clarifying it is not proof of citizenship and may be verified by the EC.
• In Bihar, draft rolls published August 1 showed about 65 lakh deletions with final rolls due September 30, while Kerala’s CEO has digitised records and set a September 20 meeting with political parties as the state prepares for its SIR.